Imagine you were at a party and someone asked you, What are the two things I should know about jewelry retail? You’d reply …
- Make it right/Keep it beautiful. — Frank Salinardi, Linardi’s Jewelers, Plantation, FL
- Customers want something unique/(They want to be) just like everyone else. — Russell Criswell, Vulcan’s Forge, Kansas City, MO
- If it’s good, it ain’t cheap. And if it’s cheap, it ain’t good. — Marc Majors, Sam L. Majors, Midland, TX
- The industry will always change/Great customer service never goes out of style. — Julie Terwilliger, Wexford Jewelers, Cadillac, MI
- Volume is vanity/Profit is sanity. — Charles Hood, C.B. Hood Diamond Co., Santa Maria, CA
- The customer is not always right/Treat them as if they were. — Casey Gallant, Stephen Gallant Jewelers, Orleans, MA
- Be honest and treat people as you would like to be treated/No good deed goes unpunished. — Marta Jones-Couch, Elements Ltd., Des Moines, IA
- If there is a great product, there will be a less expensive “me too”/If you have a good idea, someone will copy it. — Brian McCall, Midwest Jewelers and Estate Buyers, Zionsville, IN
- Listen first. React second. — Joseph Delefano, Regency Jewelers, Rotterdam, NY
- Have enough inventory to service the clientele you have. Don’t drown yourself with too much inventory. — Mike Doland, Doland Jewelers, Dubuque, IA
- Listen more. Talk less. — Allison Leitzel-Williams, Leitzel’s Jewelry, Myerstown, PA
- 1) The customer is always right 2) Go back to step #1. — Peter Stavrianidis, Venus Jewelers, Somerset, NJ
- Know your customer/Sell them what they want. — John DiEnna, JD3 Jewelry, Lansdowne, PA
- You need the right sales team to create the in-store experience/If you don’t have a good online presence, you won’t succeed. — Chris Wattsson, Wattsson & Wattsson Jewelers, Marquette, MI
- Romance every sale like it’s a three-carat diamond /Watch out for the fly-by-night dealers, they’ll piss down your back and tell you it’s raining. — Elysia Demers, Barnhardt Jewelers, Spencer, NC
- Be truthful with your clients and your vendors … all the rest will follow. — Rex Solomon, Houston Jewelry, Houston, TX
- Work hard. Play hard. — Buddy Bear, Buddy Bear Jewelers, Merion , PA
- Don’t judge a book by the cover/Customers buy from someone they like, so be likable. — Steven Wardle, Forest Beach Design, Chatham, MA
- Know the latest trends/ Stay focused on your market. — Ann Thacker, Thacker Jewelry, Lubbock, TX
- A good bench jeweler knows when to say when/Some people just aren’t happy unless they aren’t happy. — Steve Stempinski, Steve’s Place, Madison, GA
- Experience is key. The client has to want to buy from you since the competition is fierce/Prices will be better elsewhere. — Heather Burleson, Shelia Bayes Fine Jewelers, Lexington, KY
- For custom and repairs, promise long/For custom and repairs, deliver early. — Ira Kramer, The Diamond Exchange of Maryland, Rockville, MD
- Plan, plan, plan/Adjust the plan, adjust the plan, adjust the plan. — Corey Miller, Leighton’s Jewelers, Merced, CA
- People are great/People will drive you nuts. — David Blitt, Troy Shoppe Jewellers, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Everyone does custom/Great designs are not always custom. — Richard Frank, Goldstein’s, Mobile, AL
- Everything David Geller says is gospel/David Geller knows nothing about your market. Ignore him. — Cliff Yankovich, Chimera Design, Lowell, MI
What’s the Brain Squad?
If you’re the owner or top manager of a U.S. jewelry store, you’re invited to join the INSTORE Brain Squad. By taking one five-minute quiz a month, you can get a free t-shirt, be featured prominently in this magazine, and make your voice heard on key issues affecting the jewelry industry. Good deal, right? Sign up here.